Til I Found You

Chapter 26

I left the bookstore and started walking. I just stare into blank space as I walk, letting my feet take me wherever it want to go. I don’t know if I could come home either. Pictures of Vince and Elaine at the park flashed into my mind.

The sun has already set and yet, I’m not home – not even close to home. In fact, I don’t know where I am right now. As I walked, droplets of rain started falling down. But… I didn’t care.

As moments passed, my vision starts getting blur and the world seems like its spinning off in my head. I suddenly remembered, I was sick last night.

And in a snap of a finger, everything blacked out.

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Vince:

A call from Dave woke me up.

“Dude, what’s your problem? It’s early in the morning!” I said my voice still sleepy.

“Don’t yell at me! I found out something, dude. You’ll be shocked.”

I rubbed my still sleepy eyes. “What is it?”

“Remember those pictures of you and Elaine after your engagement with Liz? The one that created so many issues back then?”

That’s when I got into my senses. “Yea, why?”

“I know who was behind it.”

My eyes widened. “Really? Who?”

“Meet me at the park. I’ll tell you everything there.”

Call ended.

Who could that be?

In my eagerness to find it out, I rushed myself downstairs. As I run down, a voice called me.

“Vince, sweetie. Would you like to come with us?” It was Grandma.

I turned and my eyes met with Liz’s. Then I asked, “Where?”

“I’m having my check-up. And we’ll head to the mall afterwards. It would be a great bonding for us. So, you coming?”

I didn’t answer instantly. Why? Because Liz is coming with Grandma, and if I come too, I’ll spend more time with Liz. But, I really wanted to know what Dave is going to say.

“Sorry Grandma.” I said. “Dave and I have something to do.”

She looked at me with a raised eyebrow as if telling me to cancel my appointment with Dave so I muttered, “This is important.”

I hurriedly ate my breakfast, took a bath and put on clothes.

After approximately 25 minutes, I arrived at the park and saw Dave sitting by one of the benches there. I approached him and said, “Hey dude. So tell me…who is it?”

I sat beside him and opened a brown envelope. He took out the pictures and the receipts where the pictures were printed.

The receipt was dated the same as my engagement with Liz. It was transacted at Picture Perfect Digital Photo Services and was named to Elmer McCoon.

“Who’s Elmer McCoon?” I asked Dave.

He handed me another paper. In it was the profile of Elmer McCoon. “He was a professional photographer.”

“He’s the one behind all these things?” I asked. “But why would he do that? I don’t even know him!”

“Well, practically…yes, he was the one who took those pictures and had it printed at Picture Perfect. He was also the one who sent it to your Grandma and to the media.” He explained. And then, he continued. “But, there’s this someone who hired him to do that.”